Girl, 12, tells police she was raped near bus stop

POLICE ARE investigating the possible rape of a 12-year-old girl who said she was assaulted while waiting for a bus Tuesday morning in East Germantown.

The girl told police that she was waiting for a bus about 7:30 a.m. on Price Street near Ardleigh when she was approached by an unknown male in his late teens or early 20s. The male was reportedly wearing a ski mask, a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, police said.

The victim told police that the man forced her into a nearby alley and sexually assaulted her. After the purported assault, the victim went home and told her parents, who took her to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and contacted police.

The school the victim attends, Imani Education Circle Charter School, on Greene Street near Chelten Avenue, released a statement, saying it was "deeply saddened by the reported incident."

"We are committed to working with law enforcement to the fullest capacity until we are able to bring the perpetrator to justice," the statement said. "Although we have made every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of our students on the grounds of our school and within our school facility, crimes can and do occur outside of any school's property."

Police interviewed the victim Tuesday but did not release any additional information.